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Between Wisdom and Foolishness
-The forge is quiet for a change and the rebel leader, Megatron is in the arena practicing against stationary tagets. As he moves and hits it becomes quite evident that all the videos on the street right now for sale are not doctored in any way regarding his fighting ability. With the place emprt and quiet the sounds of his hits and shots seem to bounce around the arena echoing into nothing. -Ever since she had heard of the arenas, Swift Blade has been curious. While she had fought in a type of arena in her years of slavery, they had not been against her own people. So it's only natural that she should find her way here eventually. Quietly she enters the place, assuming she passes any sort of security or scrutiny involved. -A couple of mechs glance her way but dont seem to outwardly be wathing her every move. -Swift Blade probably wouldn't care if someone /was/ watching her; she has no plans of doing anything...untoward. Besides, she isn't exactly the best armed individual on the planet. -Megatron is using some pretty nasty backhands and kicks on the lifeless dummy which is for the best considering the dents hes putting in the dummys outer hull -Swift Blade is watching with quite a bit of interest, apparently unconcerned with anyone else around her for the time being. Each dent gets noted with the impact of the attacks. She's comparing it with her own fighting, which is more about swords and less about fisticuffs. -Megatron does a roundhouse on the poor dummy and when he has his footing back he suddenly stops. He thought he was being watched and the glimpse of the femme Seeker out of the corner of his optic just now comfirmed it. He walkd over toward her, with a calm graceful power, "What can I do for you ...?" he doesn't know her name so all he can do is leave blank space at the end. -"Swift Blade," the seeker femme says, filling in the blank and inclining her head. "I admit, it was curiosity that brought me here. I have been off Cybertron for most of my life, and during my time away, I had spent some time in alien arena battles. Since hearing about this place, I have wanted to see it," is her explaination for why she's here. -Megatron looks her up and down and smiles. "So youve had experience in arena combat. Excellent." he pauses a beat then says, "What was your real reason for comeing here? I assume youve been brought up to speed on the situation here during your absense." -"The situation seems to be that the entire planet is boiling over," Swift Blade says evenly. "But that was my real reason for coming; I would have come just the same if Cybertron had been more tranquil." She tilts her head slightly to the side. "In fact, I probably would have come sooner in that case." -"The planet is about to boil over," Megatron says, "The senate is corrupt, 'Prime' is corrupt -- its time it was stopped and our society rebalanced. Where do you stand in this?" -Swift Blade holds her hands, palms up, in a semi-apologetic manner. "To be honest, that is where I have hit a stumbling block," she admits. "Everyone I speak to tells me it is a matter of survival to choose a side, but so far I have been reluctant to do so." She sighs. "Returning home was supposed to be a positive thing, but when I found out the shape the planet was in, it was very discouraging to say the least." -Megatron says firmly, "Regretting your return to your home world because of the situation its in right now is useless. Not chosing a side will get you killed -- if that is what you want, you are wasting my time. But I dont think that is what you want is it? you wouldnt be here if it was." -Swift Blade raises her optic ridges a triffle. "Useless, perhaps, but it is still how I feel," she says with a shrug. "And I feel no shame in not wanting to choose a side simply because I find sorrow in the fact that my people, who I had longed to see for /millions/ of years, are so fragmented." She pauses for a moment to give the mech's face a long look. "However, I most certainly have no intention of dying." -"The great houses made this soceity fragmented in their facade of perfect order." Megatron says, "And too many are laying down and taking what the Prime wants, what the Senate wants, no body has the back strut to stnd up to it. You cant even decide which side to chose in this. I will tell you which side to chose; chose the side that is fighting for your right to not chose any side if that is your choise." -Swift Blade gives the barest hint of a smile. "I have heard much of this before from others," she says softly. "But my concern is that, belief wise, I would not be a good 'fit' for either side. To join means to consent to follow whatever orders and strictures are in place there, regardless of what my concience says. At least, that is what I have assumed." Her facial expression is open, curious. She did not come here with her mind made up one way or the other. -"Your beliefs prevent you from chosing a side?" Megatron counters, "So you do believe in the functionism the senate and the Prime lays down to you and I and everyone else according to their opinion? And your disdain for following orders -- strictures, outweighs standing up for what is right, saying enough is enough to strictures that are all emcompassing? And you tell me in the same breath cycle you have a conscious? Where?" -"I believed in a benevolent and ordered society," Swift Blade says. "Unfortunately, what we have is an ordered but not at all benevolent one. But taking away all order might start out as benevolent, but it wouldn't stay that way." She frowns slightly. "I don't disdain following orders; but I have to be clear as to the character of the person /giving/ those orders." She smiles faintly. "Everyone's conscience is unique to the mech or femme it belongs to. More than that, I cannot say." There's a brief pause. "Regardless, until this cycle, I had not met you, so how could I fully understand your position other than through heresay?" -Megatron takes a step toward Blade, "Who said about taking away all order? I want to remove the functionism -- caste, order of 'life' now. We are stangnant, we are repressed and many of us are suffering. And the senate does not care. But I do. My position in this is to fight for each mech or femme to have the freedom of choise to be what they want, do what they want. Not to have it told to us. Trust me... having a governing bodty tell you what you will be in life and in soceity based solely on your alternate mode, not what you want -- what your mind wants, is turture in and of itself." -"I was a slave for most of my life," Swift Blade says flatly. "I know exactly what it's like to have to follow someone's orders without question, without wavering, regardless of what I thought of my actions." She shrugs her shoulders. She inclines her head. "Coming here, I did not know what to expect. I hadn't even anticipated meeting you this cycle," she admits. -Megatron asks, "What did you expect? And what did you find?" -Speaking of freedom of choice, a certain mech to whom choice is VERY important is just going to happen to walk by soon. It is Blast Off, here to prepare for a pit fight. Some of his teamates are already nearby, and the shuttleformer has his blaster out and polishes it as he walks down the hallway into the arena. His audios pick up the sound of Megatron's voice, and given that this is the Leader of the Decepticons he does pay attention to it, though his gaze remains on his weapon. Aloof and all that. But then he hears another voice- and it causes him to stop in mid-stride. Violet optics whip up to look for the source- and there is Swift Blade standing there nearby. He just...stares for now. -"As I said, I did not know what to expect. Your writings said one thing, but all I had seen were the videos of the fights," says Swift Blade. "You could have fallen anywhere from a high minded idealist to a mech who has been consumed with battle lust." She smiles faintly. "While I don't believe you're on either extreme, where exactly you fall in between there isn't something I can tell just from our conversation." Most likely her back is to where Blast Off has entered, so she doesn't notice him as of yet. Her attention is pretty squarely on Megatron; the mech who has stirred up the planet so turbulently. -Megatron catches movement a few feet ahead of him and notices Blast Off. Then he focuses back on Swift Blade, "Fair enough. But think about what youre willing to fight for. At some point there wil come a time very soon when you can not ignore it any longer. You will have to make a choice, before one is made for you.'he glances back at Blast Off. "Preparing for the fight soon, Blast Off?" he asks. -Blast Off continues to stare. She's HERE! Finally! Is she joining the Decepticons? At least checking them out? His optics light up just a bit at the thought... enough to surprise even him. He debates saying anything, content just to listen and hear what's going on. But Megatron addresses him, startling him out of his reverie. "Oh. Uh." He blinks and looks at the big gray mech, then tries to look aloof and dignified once more- not suddenly caught out in the open or anything. *ahem* "Yes.... our team bracket is coming up shortly." He nods. "Swift Blade, it is a pleasure to see you here." -"That is the general consensus," Swift Blade says wryly. "But surely there is wisdom in being cautious, yes?" At this point she gets distracted when she hears Blast Off's name. Turning she spots the very familiar mech, and her expression soften a trifle. She inclines her head. "Good cycle," she greets him solemnly despite her faint smile. "You are to be fighting soon then?" she inquires. She has seen him fight before, but she imagines that being in an arena would be a bit different than being ambushed by bounty hunters. -Megatron considers Swift Blades comment for a moment, "There is a very fine line between wise and foolish." he pauses a beat then says, "This fight will be filmed and distributed as a new volume in the video set, Blast Off. Make sure your team is in top form." -Blast Off nods to the femme, smiling just slightly under his faceplate. "Yes. Team tournment." His armor is polished- he looks as good as she's probably seen him. Truning to Megatron, he states, "Yes, Swindle informed me. I have made myself as... dapper as possible, though given how brutal these fights go I doubt it will be able to be appreciated for long." He tilts his head, sniffing haughtily. "And do not worry- my team is ALWAYS in top form. We are *Combaticons*, after all." Pride much? -Swift Blade raises her optic ridges at this comment, then slowly nods her head. "There is some sense in that," she agrees, but says little else mostly because Megatron has turned to speak with Blast Off. Blast Off gets a long look. His 'civilized face' is the one she usually sees, but he obviously is taking quite a bit of pride in his warrior side at the moment. Of course, he likes to indulge in any kinds of his pride whenever the opportunity presents itself. "Then I hope your fight is a good one," she says with her usual solemnity. While not exactly stand-offish like Blast Off is, she's not exactly a jovial femme. -Megatron smiles. Thats what he likes to hear, "You will do the cause well, Blast Off." Not to mention make their coffers fuller. Even rebel armies need shanix to get some things done. He looks back at Blade, "Will you be attending the fight? Be my guest in the my viewing box- has the best view in the house." -Blast Off is a civilized mech- much of the time. But he does indeed have that warrior's spark within. As a Combaticon it is his "birthright"... something infused into his very circuitry. Of course- it also leads to conflicts for a mech who generally enjoys the highlife and fine culture. And pride? No matter what "face" the shuttle may display- pride is never far way from it. Still- he definitley looks a bit pleased to see Swift Blade here. "Thank you. I shall be. I -and my team- have vast amounts of experience- Combaticons, after all." He adds, "What brings you here?" To Megatron he nods. "Yes, of course I will." Yes, definitely has an ego to be talking to Megatron of all mechs like that. But Blast Off does it without even thinking. "All the Combaticons will." -Swift Blade inclines her head politely. "I would be honored," she says softly. Though there is something strange about occupying a place that, in the past, had been reserved for her masters. She shrugs her shoulders. "I was curious," she says. "I'm pretty sure I had told you that I spent time in arenas on some of the alien planets I was on." She doesn't have eidict memory, so she doesn't always remember who she told what to. "I suppose it was just a matter of time before I satisfied that curiosity." -Megatron smiles, "I look foward to seeing you on that night then." -Blast Off ahhhs at Swift Blade. "Yes- you mentioned that before." He gazes out at the arena. "Though I am here because I wish to be. An important difference." He holds up his blaster, smirking a little under the faceplate. He's feeling quite confident right now, except for that little bit of surprise he still feels at seeing her here. Not too much surprise, though. "I hope that you enjoy the show. You can finally see my team at work. ME at work. " It does occur to him that she may or may NOT like the degree of violence that can happen in the arena... but if she once fought in such a place, surely she's used to it to at least some degree? He looks to the two of them. "So you were asking Megatron about the Decepticons, then?" He looks at her intently. "...What do you think?" She may well be getting the clue that HE is one of them. -Ah, but would just a clue be sufficient? Actually, Swift Blade did hear Megatron say Blast Off would do the cause good. His membership would then stand to reason? But the femme doesn't like to make assumptions. "It is a very important difference," Swift Blade says. "I cannot honestly say if I would have enjoyed the experience if I had gone on my own volition. As it was, however, I didn't take much joy in such battles." No, she is not a violent femme. "I didn't come here to ask, but the matter did come up." She pauses. "I suppose it would be very unlikely that it didn't come up." -Megatron studies Swift Blade while her and Blast Off talk a bit, "What is your specialy, Swift Blade?" he asks suddenly. -"Yes," the Combaticon agrees. "And I would think not. Choosing to fight is quite different than being forced to." He gazes at the arena once more. "I do not like fighting all the time. I like to leave room for more... civilized pursuits. However, as part of my team, and as a Combaticon, we are sort of expected to remain in fighting form. And I do enjoy practicing and honing my already considerable skills. Should I allow them to rust, then when I need them they would no longer be of much use." -"Twin sword fighting," Swift Blade answers promptly. "My first master removed most of my ranged weaponry; the rules for the specific arena I fought in was melee battles only," she explains with a faint grimace. Now that she back on Cybertron, her lack of ranged weapons is a decided drawback. "Though Blast Off has taught be a little bit more about guns." Millions of years without using a weapon would make a person pretty rusty. "Finding a balance is admirable," Swift Blade says to Blast Off. "I know it is something that is very important to you. Hopefully, when things settle you will be able to achieve the balance you think is best." -Blast Off nods. "Have you had any further chance to practice your ranged weaponry? I hope those Bounty Hunters haven't given you any trouble since then?" He watches Megatron head off, then at the mention of balance he looks down at his rifle, suddenly looking a bit ...sober about it all. "Yes. I hope so, too. I fight so that I may know peace. It is a difficult balance at times." There's a steely look in his optic right now, however. "And here, in this place, one must prepare. For anything." -"I haven't seen them since the incident," Swift Blade says. "But I am often in the company of others or in my quarters; I don't know that they would look for me in Vos." She shrugs her shoulders. "Perhaps they will not strike unless I am alone," she suggests. "I haven't had much chance to practice," she adds. "Though I'm sure it will come up in my general training." -Blast Off frowns a bit under his faceplate at the memory. "Yes... they might well wait for what they think is a vulnerable moment. It's what cowards do." Never mind that his modus operandi as a sniper is to shoot people who don't even know that he's there. "There are unsavory sorts out there. Yet another reason I keep my fighting skills in top shape." He then looks up at the gathering crowds. "Some really like performing in front of an audience. I don't really care, but I do wish to look good for my team. If the Combaticons do well, then we received more energon, better earnings, and other rewards. In this day and age, it ...helps." He then looks to her. "So are you considering joining in the fights? ...Joining the Decepticons, then?" -"Are the two the same?" Swift Blade asks. "Are all arena fighters Decepticons? Conversely, do all Decepticons fight in the arena?" It seems a reasonable question to her. Fighting for a cause is one thing; fighting for sport is another. She's not necessarily sure that she would want to do the latter again, even if it was her choice. "I would probably have to practice more before doing any serious fighting either way," she says. -"No", Blast Off answers. "Most here are Decepticons now, though there are a number of Neutrals and.... a few I think might have been Autobots. They disappeared recently- left after a shakeup. Leadership... changed hands." He gazes around once more before focusing back on the femme. His optics drift to her weaponry and hands, then back to her optics. It's the studious appraisal of a warrior. Primed for a fight and ready to go, Blast Off is a little less the prissy aristocrat and more the seasoned soldier. "Are you sure? I end up thinking you'd do quite well in the Arena." There's a pause and he looks out in the pit. "At least the lower-level fights. I am not sure you would wish to fight in the more... intense ones." -"It's been a while since I was in any arena fight," Swift Blade says. "After the first few masters I ended up with other duties. I would have to see what a low level fight was like before I could say whether I was ready or not," she points out. "Also I never fought my own kind, so I imagine the ability to transform would be used in battle quite frequently." -Blast Off tilts his head as something occurs to him. "Would you like to find out? Like- right now?" He nods towards the arena. "See the mechs tussling over there? They're warming up right now. That's Brawl, plus... hmm, looks like maybe Blitzwing? I should go warm up, too." He looks back to her. "If you'd like, you could be my... warm-up partner." He seems to like the idea. -Swift Blade turns her head to watch the combatants for a few minutes, then considers Blast Off's suggestion. "Does the fact that we have completely different attack preferences make a difference?" He's ranged, she's melee. She's not even sure which style would have the advantage, though she's sure that Blast Off, with his history, has the advantage over all. On the other hand, she knows that she'll learn more fighting with someone who is better than her rather than someone who is weaker or less experienced. " -"Of course," Swift Blade says, "it wouldn't do either of us any good to fight with the intention of causing permanent harm." Because they're both reasonable people, right? And certainly not enemies. At least with Swift Blade things are pretty simple; Blast Off doesn't really have to worry about whether she's friend or foe. "But if you don't mind the fact that I'm rusty, then I would be pleased to spar with you." -And indeed, Blast Off isn't really concerned that Swift Blade might suddenly turn into some sort of deadly foe here. If he did, he wouldn't have offered- especially knowing how she prefers melee- and he most definitely does NOT. "No, simply a friendly sparring match." He seems to smile under the faceplate, then gestures into the arena. "After you, then!" -Swift Blade proceeds. She doesn't know if there's any particular protocal here that would be different than the battles she's used to, so she'll just act according to her own knowledge until told otherwise. And no, it would pretty much take some serious head-tampering with to make her act out a betrayal....not that such a thing is unheard of on Cybertron. Once she's into the arena, she releases her swords from their places. One day, perhaps, she would like to get energized weapons, but for now, her old swords will do. -Blast Off steps after her, entering the arena and proceeding to stretch a bit. He eyes those swords, sizing them up. Then he looks down at his blaster and... hmm. The Combaticon proceeds to subspace it, bringing out a small pistol instead and placing it on its lowest setting. On that level, the shots will smart- but not do much damage beyond some surface marks and holes. Then he stands at the ready, feet slightly wider than hips and gaze locked onto her. His pistol is held loosely at his side. "I look forward to this." He gives her a polite nod. "Femmes first." -Exercising a somewhat stiff bow, which was probably a part of the protocols in her previous battles and has become habit. Hopefully she won't do this when an actual battle happens. Then again, she seemed to move quickly enough when those bounty hunters attacked. Once the quick formality is taken care of she rushes forward, blades extended, to take a swing at Blast Off. -Blast Off blinks a little at Swift Blade's bow but still maintains his focus on the femme. When she lunges forward, he leaps upward into the air as anti-gravs rocket to life. Leaping back, then landing on the ground again further away he lifts his arm to fire off a shot at Swift Blade's shoulder armor. -The fight isn't really starting off well for Swift Blade, as evidenced by the shot in her shoulder and the fact that her blades haven't struck metal. But that's okay; the fight is far from over. Taking the hit doesn't do much to deter her, and she presses onwards, this time using her swords in a scissor like attack. -Blast Off is a dodgy sort- his life can depend on staying out of physical range of his enemies, and his accuracy is second-to-none. The Combaticon lives up to his name, and his shot is true. However, Swift Blade is no slouch and her response this time catches the shuttle before he can quite flit out of the way. Her swords cut across his shoulders briefly as she gets close... a little too close, and he launches himself upwards. "Not bad..." Turning in mid-air, he spins around to fire another shot while trying to get a little more distance now. -At least Swift Blade can comfort herself in knowing that Blast Off is /supposed/ to be damned accurate. But at the moment she doesn't look like she needs comforting, even though she's taken a second hit. What goes up must be pursued in an upward fashion, so she takes after him at an angle, attempting to slash him across the knees with her blades this time. If she heard his comment she makes no acknowledgement of this. -Blast Off smirks a little under his faceplate as she comes after him. The Combaticon warrior is both quite full of himself (as always) and pleased to see her so focused and ready for battle. He also sees how she's leading just a little TOO closely, and is able to judge the correct moment to suddenly rocket away. Anti-gravs roar even louder as he increases speed, twirling through the air. She'll have to put on a new burst of speed herself to catch up- though as a Seeker she probably has it in her. Meanwhile, he fires another shot at some heavily armored section of the femme. -Unfortunately, her speed had been reduced by cautious masters at some point, so she isn't quite as fast as a general seeker. It's a wonder she even looks 'normal' after all the tinkering that was done. At least her mind is solid. She takes another hit; this isn't comfortable, but she already knew that it wouldn't be. As long as nothing is critical, she can manage. She might be rusty in the offense, but learning to deal with injury is harder to forget. As she increases speed to catch up she puts away one of her sword, hoping for better accuracy. -The Combaticon watches as Swift Blade speeds up, still eying that sword. Once again Blast Off pulls away just in time, whirling backwards and down to avoid the blow. "You're broadcasting your intentions just a little too much", he states. "I can see in your optic where you're about to strike. You're not dealing with pathetic organics anymore... now you're dealing with fellow Cybsertronians who can compute these details as quickly as you do." He's so helpful. Maybe. Or maybe he just likes the sound of his own voice. Or maybe both. Then up he comes again, firing at her shoulder armor once more. -Maybe if he hadn't been talking Swift Blade wouldn't have dodged that one. She nods her head only briefly to acknowledge that he heard, but she doesn't take the time to talk herself. In fact, she's been pretty silent this whole time. Her optics narrow just a triffle, the set of her face showing stoic determination. With the hand currently holding the sword, she makes a slash at the mech, while rather rapidly detaching the second sword which she snaps straight out in a jab. -The thing about Blast Off is he can start to get /too/ smug, /too/ confident. Especially if he has a string of successes while his opponent only misses. So he gets more chatty- and it costs him. His reduced focus and swift Blade's unwavering focus combine into.. a miss? Blast Off blinks- he's a good enough sniper that missing always seems... wrong somehow, though it defintiely happens. Already thrown a bit off, he braces as Swift Blade comes at him with her sword. Now the first sword he sees- and responds to in time- jerking back in an arc and slowing down just a smidge. "Ah- you're getting too predictable with tha-AIGH!" The second sword is NOT noticed in time, and she jabs him right in the seam between his shoulder and torso. Fortunately he's still pretty well armored there, but ...ow, that smarted. Had she been trying to really do damage, it would have. He hisses a little with surprise and pulls way back- almost coming to a standstill, hovering in mid-air and trying to let her momentum carry her forward. One hand comes up to rub the wound while the other fires at her once again- this time trying to knock the sword out of her hand, then he starts rocketing the opposite direction, back where he came. -Swift Blade did say she was rusty. But at no point did she ever say how good she was, or wasn't, when she was at her peak. Slowly things are coming back to her, the feel of a fight, the music of her blades hitting metal. The barest of smiles shows up on her face, though there's nothing smug about it. Likely it's just the delight of realizing she hasn't faded into uselessness. She winces as the blast hits her hand, but she does not drop the sword. Her hands are somewhat reinforced compared to other Seekers, probably because others had tried similar moves. This time she tries a double-jab with her swords, each spearing directly for a jointed area. -Blast Off sees that steady focus- even that hint of a smile. And he likes the femme just enough that that is sort of... cool. He decides he approves of this- of her, at least- even though he most certainly doesn't enjoy missing or getting struck. When she comes after him again, he maintains that distance he so craves and she can't quite reach him. Rolling to one side, then the other, he avoids the blows as they streak across the arena airspace. There are some cheers from the crowd below as they go through all this, too- the crowd does love a good fight and a good display of aerial and combat skills. He allows himself another smirk as he fires off yet another shot. Given a choice, that is all he'll do- shoot with a weapon and keep a safe distance from physical contact. But he does have to wonder, "Do you have weapons in your alt mode?" -Swift Blade actually looks hesitant before answering. "No," she says quietly, briefly. She doesn't go into any further depth, though this question makes the smile go away. While she has the will to fight, and the experience to some degree, she simply has been toned down too much by outside forces. But instead of flagging and admitting defeat she presses onwards. Trying to stave off the 'predictability' she actually throws one of her swords at Blast Off, trying to hit one of his wings, while she lunges forward with herself, slashing the other sword towards him in an arc. -Blast Off notes the smile fading and assures, "....Apologies. I only... wondered. I have some basic lasers in my alt mode, though I, too, wish I had something better. Perhaps someday we will both have better weaponry- and I would enjoy matching my skills against yours, shuttle to jet." He once had substantial weaponry in shuttle mode- an orbital bombardment laser, no less... but that was long ago, and with a different body. But maybe someday.... The shuttleformer stops reminiscing long enough to realize she- just hurled one of her swords at him! Optics widen a bit, but with a sharp twirling turn to his right he not only evades the blow but reaches out to catch the sword before it falls away. There's a bit of a smirk there as he starts hovering downwards towards one of the nearby stands, then tosses the sword back towards her. "Heh... not bad. You're thinking outside the box, at least." Speaking of which, suddenly he whirls around and lunges for one of the empty stadium seats, grabbing one of the heavy pads and tossing it towards the femme. "Catch THIS, too!" Hey, two can play at that game. -Swift Blade doesn't play catch exactly. There's a slight humming sound as the sword nears her and it clangs into place at her side. It's left there for the time being as she dodges away from the seating. Hopefully he doesn't do that too often or else there will be a mess. Switching her grip on her sword slightly she moves in for an overhead, downward strike, aiming for the top of one of Blast Off's shoulders. -Blast Off looks up just in time to see Swift Blade coming at him with that sword from above and he has just enough time to grab another seating pad and bring it up to block her attack. The sword crunches into IT instead of him. The blow causes him to stagger back a bit, though, causing some seated mechs nearby to scramble out of their seats to avoid the fight. Not liking the close quarters, the shuttleformer swings a punch towards the femme, aiming to knock her out of the way so he can launch back towards the ceiling. -Swift Blade brings up an arm to fend off the physical attack from Blast Off, her optic ridges going up a triffle. So far he had always backed away and fired. But now that he's close, she actually tries to grab hold of him to make it harder for him to get away again, though she isn't assured of her success; Blast Off is known for prefering his space. -Blast Off swings, only to find that his attempt at a punch gives the stronger femme a better chance to get grip on him. The shuttleformer tenses at that, turning his head to stare at her up close. She will probably sense the change in his energy field- the haughty confidence drops a bit, his armor plating bristles, and he's now thinking how to get away. Violet optics stare into hers, frozen in place for a second- and then he yanks backwards with a kick, trying to dislodge the femme and gain some of that precious space once more. -Swift Blade does, in fact, get kicked, hissing softly, but she doesn't let go. While she notices the change in the mech's demeanor, she isn't the sort to gloat over this fact nor rub it in. She's simply pressing her advantage while she has it. After all, if she were to fight someone she didn't know then she would use no consideration at all. Letting up at this point would be an insult to her opponent. Holding fast with one hand, she tries to swing her sword with the other. -Despite his discomfort right now, Blast Off hasn't stopped appreciating Swift Blade's determination and focus. It's just... he'd like her to be focused somewhere *besides right next to him*, still keeping that death grip on his arm. And he can't quite break free just yet. His attempt at pulling away is met with another sword thrust- which he manges to block with that seat pad again. It sends him back harmlessly with an *oof*, then he tries to use the momentum to jerk backwards once again. This time he tries springing from one of the seats for some extra power, using anti-gravs to add to the push and swinging that seat pad down hard onto Swift Blade's arm- the one that grips him- trying to dislodge her hold on him. Of course, Blast off isn't exactly the strongest mech out there... -Strong mech or not, Blast Off's move is sufficient to dislodge Swift Blade, though he might see that she looks somewhat annoyed at having lost her grip. She makes a couple of quick slashes, aiming for the seat pad that he's been using, hoping to disarm him. -Swift Blade may look annoyed, but Blast Off looks just a bit relieved to finally get free of that grip. However, he doesn't have a lot of time to dwell on that for she strikes just as he pulls away, knocking the seat pad from his hands. Slag it all. He huffs, thinking that he could reach for his pistol again... though she's still too close for comfort. The shuttle looks up, considering these things, considering the fight he's about to be in after this... and then he stops. His hand comes up in a "unarmed" gesture... thought the other remains ready to bring that pistol back into play should she keep attacking. Not that he's expecting it- but a Combaticon warrior is trained to be prepared. Again he smirks a little under that faceplate, "Not bad for someone who hasn't had a lot of practice lately. ...call it a draw?" He watches her, edging between a wary battle readiness that still says she's too close- and an approval of her battle form. He can do that, for this is all a friendly sparring match, after all. -With the gesture made, the swords are put away promptly. "I would concede the win; over all I think you were more successful," she says evenly. "I will just have to practice harder and more frequently." She smiles faintly now. "It was good to see where I stand and where I need to improve...especially if I'm going to dodge you any better if we do this again." -Blast Off actually grins at that, though Swift Blade won't be able to see it under his faceplate. She might be able to sense it though. He gives her a nod- he's certainly not going to correct her if she says he was the better fighter for he is a Combaticon! He's Blast Off! He's magnificent, after all! Yes, anything that strokes his ego is always a plus. However, he is not ungenerous to those he feels deserve it- and Swift Blade is in that category. "Indeed. That is the point of such things- it gives one an opportunity to find one's strengths and weaknesses- and improve them." He settles back into a relaxed stance. "Thank you, that was a great warm up." His head tilts a little. "And anytime." -Swift Blade probably gets along so well with Blast Off because she doesn't feel this defensive need to take his ego down a notch or two. Yet, at the same time, she couldn't be said to be sucking up to him either. "Better to improve now, when things are friendly than to fail when lives are at stake," she says solemnly. But then she smiles a little more fully. "It is definitely a different experience going in because I chose to," she says with a faint tone of satisfaction. -That does help! Blast Off and his ego are an inseperable pair, after all, so if you want to deal with one you need to be able to at least tolerate the other. "Yes... get the circuit memory and readiness in now, for when you need it there is no time to practice." Her last comment gets a thoughtful look. "And... yes, I would expect so. Now YOU make the choice. You can fight, or not, and it is all up to you. And if you step into the arena, you do it to improve /yourself/... and to prove things to yourself. That choice makes all the difference in the world." There is a siren that suddenly rings out, and Blast Off looks up. "Ah... our battle is about to begin. You are welcome to watch us at work!" -"Of course; I doubt you would participate if you did not want to be watched," Swift Blade says with one of her rarer moments of amusement. "Isn't that largely the point of all of that," and she points to the seats of the arena before she actually gets ready to watch from them herself. -Blast Off's grin doesn't falter. "Indeed. Why shouldn't I? This crowd gets a treat, watching us Combaticons at work. Watching ME at work!" Yes, he's full of himself here, but he's also feeling free enough around Swift Blade not to be all super-wary and aloof. Not entirely at least. He gives the femme a bow. "I hope you enjoy the show, then!" He's also apparently got just a smidge of charm. Sometimes. That said, he proceeds to fly off- into the arena to meet with his team- and once again battle to a cheering crowd. A crowd that includes Swift Blade, and Blast off finds... he likes that.